Book review: Facts by Susan Martineau and Vicky Barker

Pam Norfolk

So here’s the perfect book, a coruscating cornucopia of some the most entertaining and enlightening facts that the world has to offer.

From discovering the mechanical workings of their bicycles to finding out why aeroplanes leave cloud trails across the sky, youngsters aged six and over will travel through these nuggets of information at (almost!) the speed of light.

Run by Catherine Bruzzone and Sam Hutchinson, b small has been in business since 1990 and has nearly 200 titles on its list, including bilingual books and colourful, fun activity books for young children.

With the help of Vicky Barker’s dynamic designs and illustrations, Susan Martineau has been on an epic mission, hacking her way through a rainforest of information, scaling mountains of data and plumbing the depths of an ocean of research to bring children only the very best and most interesting facts.

This book is buzzing with knowledge, ranging from topics as diverse as intrepid female explorers to alluring glow-in-the-dark sea creatures, and all presented in an eye-catching format that is easy to read and understand.

Discover all the green things you can find in a rainforest, meet the ocean’s gentle giants, marvel at special effects in the sky, take off with some fantastic flying machines and enjoy a range of ingenious homes for humans.

There are facts galore and bizarre discoveries on every page of this lively and exciting book, plus the added fun of a truly curious word to get your mind (and tongue!) around in every amazing section.